Cincinnati Reds legend Joey Votto announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Thursday after 17 seasons. Votto spent 2024 trying to latch on with his hometown Toronto Blue Jays but never got a major league at-bat. He spent 31 games across three teams in the Blue Jays' system, hitting .165. Votto spoke about his adjustment to minor-league life on the Dan Patrick Show.
It was a great experience, it was hard, the hardest thing I did these last 9 months. Essentially always being told no, and I was the only one saying yes. The game telling me no and I’m saying yes. Air BNB’s basically 5 months of hotels, hurt the whole time, minor league complex, but I loved it.”
The former Reds first baseman continued, “It was the complete opposite experience of the posh big league life, major league life. Charter jets, and people taking your bags, and first-class hotels, people taking your bags and everything, let’s get real here. It cost me money to play baseball this year, and I’m not complaining at all but that’s the reality of it.”
Fans loved Joey Votto because it always seemed like he loved baseball. His quote on Friday proves that to be true. Votto spent his entire career with the Reds, leading teams to the playoffs on three occasions. While he never won a playoff series, he put together a fascinating Hall of Fame case. Will Votto be enshrined in Cooperstown?
Reds great Joey Votto's Hall of Fame case
There is no drama on whether or not Votto will be honored at Great American Ballpark. As a career Red, his spot is open among the Reds' retired numbers. It's only a matter of time until the team invites him back to give him a proper send-off. He will join the likes of Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Barry Larkin, and Pete Rose when his number is retired in Cincinnati.
As for the Baseball Hall of Fame, Votto presents an interesting case. Even the biggest Votto fan in the world could only say he was the third-best first baseman of his generation. Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols both hit over 500 home runs and won multiple MVP awards. Votto won just one MVP and ended with 356 homers.
Because of the generation of first baseman he played in, Votto will likely not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Baseball-Reference has a stat called JAWS that “measures a player's Hall of Fame worthiness” using their peak WAR years. Votto is right behind Cabrera in this stat, with only Hall of Famers surrounding them. He is slightly ahead of Rafael Palmiero, who would likely be in without PED accusations. Willy McCovey, Todd Helton, and Eddie Murray all rank behind Votto.
His WAR levels come from his on-base percentage. He led the National League in OBP seven times and all of the majors three of those times. He is a six-time All-Star and finished in the top seven in MVP voting seven times. While he does not have the home runs of RBIs that would signal a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Votto will certainly be in before his time on the ballot is up.
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